Vehicle driving controls



NOV. 28, 1967 C, STRAUSS 3,354,743

VEHI OLE DRIVING CONTROLS I I I fi 995 INVEN TOR. RAYMOND C. STRAUSS United States Patent 3,354,743 VEHICLE DRIVING CONTROLS Raymond C. Strauss, 301 W. Lenawee St.,

- Lansing, Mich. 48914 Original application Dec. 3, 1959, Ser. No. 857,221.

Divided and this application Sept. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 323,187

4 Claims. (Cl. 74-560) This application is a divisional application of Ser. No.

857,221, filed Dec. 3, 1959, which in turn is a continuation in part of Ser. No. 350,186, filed Apr. 21, 1953 and now abandoned. The present invention relates generally to motor vehicle controls wherein upon the application of the vehicle brakes to retard the forward motion of the vehicle the carburetor is automatically actuated to an idling position and maintained in the latter condition independently of the position of the manual or foot-operated accelerator during the period that the brakes remain applied and more particularly relates to improvements in controls of this general character which are disclosed and claimed in my applications: Serial No. 553,274, filed Sept. 8, 1944, issued as Patent 2,642,166 June 16,1953; Serial No. 609,- 796, filed Aug. 9, 1945 and now abandoned; and Serial No. 639,245, filed Jan. 5, 1946 and now abandoned.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide a brake which can be applied with the left foot of the operator and which is arranged in the same plane or on the same level as the accelerator, the novel arrangement hereof being of such a character that the accelerator is effectively disconnected from the throttle whenever the brake is applied and effectively reconnected to the throttle whenever the brake is released it being possible, by virtue of the "foregoing arrangement, for the operator to rest both feet upon the controls at all times thereby eliminating the necessity of shifting of the feet between the brake and accelerator as heretofore required in conventional arrangements.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel type of treadle especially suited for left foot braking which includes a heel rest extending laterally from the body of the treadle and arranged parallel to the vehicle floor whereby the heel of the operators foot may be adjusted inclinably thereon to the most comfortable ankle position, the treadle being adapted for use as either a simple pivoting treadle brake, or in combination with either and underlying thrust brake or a toe-type thrust brake.

A further object is to provide a novel foot treadle having a laterally extending heel rest together with a bearing surface for the ball of the foot, the latter surface remaining, during treadle action, in the same plane as that which it occupies in a rest position whereby the operators ankle flexes through a very limited range thereby providing :the operators foot with the maximum of sure-footed comfort and at the same time minimizing the fatigue otherwise imposed on the operators foot with conventional pedals.

A further object is to provide a novel foot treadle having a laterally extending heel rest together with a toe portion bearing surface for the ball of the drivers foot, the latter surface travelling downward during the treadle braking action in an arcuate direction opposite to that of the upper edge of said treadle portion, whereby in the downward movement of the ball of the foot the toe portion may be followed arcuately to sustain the force of the applied pressure, said toe portion and heel treadle portion linked together for such movement.

A further object 'is to provide pivoting points for my brake actuators .perpendicular to the floorboards for crosswise support locking as well as crosswise tilting for feed- 3354,743 Patented Nov. 28, 1967 ice ing of gas therefrom. when said pivoting top is used as a single pedal control and when employing both the foot support device and the accelerator disconnect unit.

Another object is to provide a heel rest separately mounted on the vehicle floor for detent engagement with the released brake pedal whereby relaxed heel weight supports toe weight against downward movement of the brake pedal.

Another object is to provide in combination with my novel forms of brake control means for performing other operations than braking during the initial movement of the controls preceding the braking action or coincident therewith, such operations including: disconnect of the accelerator as well as reconnect of the same, release of a foot support.

Another object is to provide an accelerator with a laterally rockable top which may be carried on a brake pedal to provide single pedal control, the rocking action not only locking the accelerator for downward thrust as a brake but also cutting off connection of the accelerator with the carburetor, and releasing foot supporting means which normally bears the weight of the operators foot when using the control as an accelerator.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a diagonally pivoted treadle brake for operation of a power booster brake shown therewith.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a pedal-treadle brake along with a similar pedal-treadle construction for the accelerator, the operators positioned feet being shown in perspective, broken lines.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a pendulum suspended, foot supporting, diagonally pivoted, tilt top brake pedal with two sizes of left feet resting thereon, the support technique being illustrated.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a tilt top brake pedal pivoted perpendicularly to the 'lower portion 01 the floorboard of the vehicle, no support means being illustrated.

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation view in section of 2 single pedal, accelerator-brake control employing the per pendicular pivots of FIGURE 4 and being shown in com bination with a power booster braking unit.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of FIGURE 5.

Referring now to the drawings for a more detailed de scription of the present invention, FIGURE 1 shows brake treadle 738 pivoted at 739 and 740 on stanchion 741 and 742 which are secured to floorboard 743 b means of bolts 744. An integral master cylinder-powe booster bra'ke assembly 745 is secured by bolts 744 am 746 to the underside of floorboard 743 in its lHCllIlBt portion. Brake control shaft 747, is shown to be uncon tacted by the underside of treadle 740, pullback spring 748 having rotated treadle 738 clockwise to rest below pivot points 739 and 740 against protruding switch but ton 749. Button 749 projects through opening 750 ii floorboard 743 and its assembly (not shown) is secure to the bottom of floorboard 743 in its inclined portio: through bolts 751. With treadle 738 resting against butto; 749 the switch is located in an off position for control in this instance, of one of my electrically energized form of the accelerator disconnect. With the counterclockwis rotation of treadle 738 through pressure by the uppe portion of the operators foot the space between the uppe end of control shaft 747 and the underside of treadle 73 will be closed, and a compression ring within the switcl just his heel to any comfortable ankle position. Since th ankle location of a long foot will fall closer to the piv?) point 739 than a short foot, and since the released treadle here uncontacted and unresisted by the brake shaft is critically sensitive to the counterbalancing heel weight of the relaxed foot, stanchion 742 with pivotal point 740 is positioned closer to the heel rest portion 754 than stanchion 741. With this arrangement the driver may shift his foot laterally to find the location at which his foot weight will effect the proper heel weight counterbalance, it being obvious that the preponderance of relaxed foot weight above the line 739-740 would have the effect of disconnect action rather'than the preservation of acceleration connection to the carburetor.

Power. booster brakes as now used on many passenger cars respond to very light pedal pressures. As a result, if a power booster. brake works satisfactorily for a small foot it will, in many cases, be found too sensitive for a large foot the added weight thereof being sufficient to cause overbraking. Where treadle 738 with its diagonally located pivots 739-740 is used, the driver may shift his foot laterally not only for a comfortable counterbalance point but for better control of the braking leverage. Dotted line 752-753 shows the point at which the ball of the foot should rest to duplicate the leverage directly above brake shaft 747. The driver with a small foot using treadle 738 will find braking control most satisfactory if he rides the brake near pivot point 740, while the driver with the longer foot, who would otherwise overbrake, will find braking control most satisfactory near pivot point 739. Furthermore, in slippery weather the driver may move his foot closer to pivot point 739 than normally in order to-achieve a hard pedal and reduce the danger of locked wheels through overbraking.

In FIGURE 2 is shown a pendulum-toe, treadle-heel type of brake actuator which gives the driver not only direct downward thrust movement when braking but also the opportunity to straighten and stiffen his leg for intensified pressure since platform 797 in moving arcuately away from heel rest 803 permits the foot to follow around the arc of movement to sustain the thrusting force throughout the downward movement.

In the initial downward movement of platform 797 the elongated eye 798 will move downwardly to engage the upper end of pushrod 799 and in so doing will give an electric switch or valve control (not shown) an oppor tunity to operate one of my accelerator disconnect units. Continued downward movement will then start to move the master cylinder plunger into master cylinder housing 801 for brake setting. With the downward movement of platform 797 the heel rest 803 will rotate diagonally thereto in a counterclockwise direction and pin 813 attached to arm 791 will therefore slide endwardly and partially out of elongated eye -812 while traversing lengthwardly the elongated cut thereof.

Inasmuch as platform 797 is pendulum suspended, a long foot in falling upon 797 will project upwardly closer to the point 'of fulcrum, namely shaft 792, than a short foot, and therefore the long foot will have less leverage upon platform 797 than the short foot with the result that the length of the foot automatically adjusts the pressuring force to the brake shaft so that substantially uniform braking pressure is developed by different drivers and tendencies for overbraking are minimized.

Where several drivers operate the same vehicle from time to time, 'each'driver having a different shoe length, the accelerator will be found too hard or too soft for one or more. With the counterbalancing heel rest and pendulum toe arrangement applied to the accelerator, as it is in FIGURE 2, this complaint can be eliminated. The pullback spring (not'shown) of the accelerator linkage may be adjusted to accommodate the smallest operators foot,

in which case the platform 797 would be ridden adjacent arm 791. Longer feet would move further away from 791 for proper counterbalance on the heel rest. Since the longer feetwould fall closer to the-point offulcrur'rntheir leverage would be less than that of the small foot so that the adjusted pullback spring would offer the same resistance to the longer feet as it offers to the small feet.

FIGURE 3 shows the application of the diagonally tiltable top to a pendulum suspended brake arm wherein the braking foot rides the brakein released position and the heel of the braking foot rests on the floor. Here arms 900 and 901 are welded at their lower ends to cross brace 902 and at their upper ends to shaft 903 after shaft 903 has been passed through openings 904 of brackets 905 which are held by bolts 906 to the firewall 907 of a vehicle. A master cylinder assembly 908 is secured to the opposite side of firewall 907 by bolts 909, pushrod 910 projecting through opening 911 for contact with the customary master cylinder plunger within assembly 908. Depending arm 912 is welded to the underside of tiltable brake top 913 to pivot at 914 on cooperating arm 900. The lower end of depending arm 912 passes through opening 915 of floorboard 916 to engage through a detent 917 on its lower front edge a cleat 918 secured to the forward end of opening 915 by bolt 919 so that when spring 920 between one arm 900 and top 913 is so contacted, assisted by the relaxed weight of the drivers foot, downward pressure on arms 900 and 901 will be resisted. The opposite end of tiltable top 913 pivots at ear'921 on the lower end of arm 901, ear 921 being pivoted at 922, a point nearer cross brace 902 than pivot point 914 on arm 900 so that top 913 tilts diagonally to shaft 903.

With this arrangement in which the heel rests on the floor, the line of diagonal pivoting 914-922 is located to fall farther ahead of the ankle than where there is a rotatable heel rest, as in FIGURES '1 and 2, so that the tilting point will be located just below the ball of the foot and very slight pressure through the ball of the foot will cause the tilting to occur, releasing the foot support, operating the disconnect unit, and the like. It will be seen that a womans small foot will therefore be placed nearer pivot point 122, for example, then a mans larger foot (shown in broken lines) in order to locate the position at which the tilting top can be operated comfortably.

In FIGURE 4 there is shown a brake arm 930 projecting through opening 931 of the inclined portion of floorboard 932. A superimposed tiltable top 934 pivots on the platform top 933 of arm 930 through ears 935 and 936 at points 937 and 938 so that the tilting action will be vertical to the lower level of the floorboard 932, rather than parallel or diagonal thereto or at other positions therebetween. 'As in the other forms the tiltable top may be used to effect and remove a support for the drivers relaxed foot when riding thereon, operate an accelerator disconnect or the like. Outboard ledge 939 serves to hold the drivers relaxed foot when riding top 934, and spring 940 disposed between the underside of top 934 and platform 933 assists in holding the top 934 in position shown.

With this arrangement advantage is taken of the fact that drivers usually relax outboard toward the drivers door and armrest so that relaxed foot weight may well be employed to hold brake top 934 in an untilted outboard position, this action serving to lock one of my foot supporting devices in a locking position.

In FIGURES 5 and 6 of this application the vertical pivot points are incorporated in a double top treadle operating as a single pedal control for both the accelera tor and brake. With this arrangement the right foot alone is employed for accelerating and braking, and the left foot is not used. As shown in FIGURE 6, shaft 945,. hinged at its'heel through ear 946 cooperating with brackets 9'47 attached to the floorboard 948 by bolts 949,. is used as a treadle platform base while braking. Top 950 is vertically hinged at the ends of shaft 945 through depending ears 951 and 952 "at .points 953 and 954. The upper end of shaft 945 -is reduced in diameter to form shouldered section 955 "over which rides the upper end of brake shaft 956 by way of opening 957. Opening 957 is conically enlarged toward its lower face to provide a pitched bearing area so that shaft 945 may move arcuately downward about ears 947 in a treadle movement for brake setting.

Brake shaft 956 enters and controls at its lower end master cylinder-power booster brake assembly 958 which is attached to the underside of the inclined portion of fioorboa-rd 948, a fragment of which is shown, by bolts 960. An accelrator shaft 961 pivots at its right angled upper end in ear 962, welded to the underside of top 950,

in elongated opening 963 thereof. Accelerator shaft 961 j passes near its lower end through bearing opening 995 of housing block 963 which is raised upon and formed integrally with the upper end of power brake assembly 958. Housing block 963 is drilled from its outer end with bearing opening 964 to intersect brake shaft bearing 962 at the axial center of the assembly, smaller bearing opening 966 connecting to opening 964 with center opening 962.

A locking block assembly slides into bearing opening 964, its cylindrical housing 965 carrying at its own axial center the large bore 968 for T-head finger 967 which projects through small axial bore 966 in housing 965 to ride in bearing opening 994 connecting with brake shaft bearing opening 962 for registry with detent 969 out into the side of brake shaft 956. Spring 970 is confined behind finger 967 within bore 968 and spring 971 is confined between the end housing 965 and the inner end of large bearing opening 964. A finger 972 threads at one end into housing 965 and at the opposite end engages cut 973 in accelerator shaft 961, said elongated cut 973 spanning a section of shaft 961 between top 950 and above the finger 972, as shown in FIGURE 5, when top 950 rests in an untilted position on the flat surface 974 formed by the top of brake shaft 956 where ear 975 is welded thereto.

At the lower end of accelerator shaft 961 there is formed T-head 976 as an integral part of shaft 961. Cap 977, apertured at the center with the opening 978, is passed thereover so that T-head 976 rides in cylindrical area 979 of cylinder 980, cap 977 threading to the upper end of cylinder 980. Spring 981 is interposed between the projecting end of housing block 963 and cap 977. Area 979 terminates downwardly in a blind end 982 and accelerator linkage 983 threads into opening 984 to complete at its opposite end, not shown, the connection with the carburetor of the vehicle. A ledge 985 projects from brake booster assembly 958 to serve as a rest for cap 977 against the further expansion of spring 981, and a side rest 995 for the drivers foot flanks the inboard edge of top 950. Stop 997 on ear 975 limits the clockwise rotation of top 959 for acceleration of the motor.

In the operation of the mechanism so far described the drivers right foot will ride top 950 at all times in a position, as shown, in broken lines, approximately balanced over shaft 945. If now, he tilts his foot toward side rest 995, top 950 will begin to rotate clockwise. Upward movement of accelerator shaft 961 will result, so that T-head 976 in cylindrical area 979 will move through play space 986 for T-head 976 to contact the underside of cap 977. In this initial movement finger 972 will be ejected from cut 973, collapsing spring 971, and finger 967, impelled by spring 970, will move endwardly to seat in detent 969, so that brake shaft 956 becomes substantially resisted against further downward pressure as top 956 is turned further clockwise. Continued clockwise movement now causes cylinder 980 and linkage 983 to be lifted and spring 981 to be compressed, linkage 983 opening the carburetor throttle valve in the customary manner to increase the speed of the vehicle.

To apply the brake the driver now releases the clockwise pressure to permit expansion of spring 981 so that finger 972 is again driven into contact with cut 973 through expansion of spring 971 and finger 967 is withdrawn from engagement with detent 969: With direct downward pressure now bearing on end 974 engaged with the underside of top 950 the brake shaft 956 will move 6 downwardly freely, to operate the power booster brake assembly 958 for a vehicle stop.

As brake shaft 956 moves downwardly, accelerator shaft 961 will also be moved downwardly causing T-head 976 to slide toward blind end 982 of cylinder 989, the accelerator linkage at 983 remaining in a carburetor closed position while this braking action continues. Even though brake top 950 is tilted crosswardly in this braking position, no gas will be fed to the carburetor since T-head 976 will not abut cap 977.

If now the brake top is released and again tilted clockwise, finger 967 will again engage detent 969 to support brake shaft 956, and T-head 976 will lift cap 977 to move linkage 986 upwardly for throttle opening action. In this position, if the driver now jams straight downwardly while still accelerating in order to set the brakes, as in an emergency, heavy pressure on shaft 956 will immediately eject finger 967 from engagement with detent 969 by compressing spring 970. Shaft 956 then will be freed for unresisted movement downwardly, and accelerator shaft 961, in alsc moving downwardly, will permit spring 981 to expand and linkage 983 to drop to close the carburetor throttle valve. In this jamming movement the accelerator disconnect here shown moves progressively to close the carburetor; that is, as the brake shaft 956 descends, the accelerator closes in direct ratio to the movement of shaft 956.

If now one of my other forms of an accelerator disconnect device is here substituted, requiring switch 01 valve means to initiate the action, the disconnect actior will be instantaneous and complete at the start of the descent of brake shaft 956. The substituted parts woulr be inserted in dotted line encircled area 987, box 988 and connection 989 therebetween. Encircled area 981 would then have on one face of housing block 963 threaded to port 990 connecting to a source of vacuum assuming the use of one of my vacuum operated units said port connecting with bearing opening 994. Adjacen thereto an air port 991 would likewise connect the sur face of block 963 with hearing opening 994. Directl] opposite these two ports a threaded port 992 would corn municate the opposite face of block 963 with hearing opening 994. A connection 989, such as a flexible hose would join port 992 with one of my disconnect unit located in enclosure 988. Finger 967 would then carr1 valve cut 993 at one point intermediate of its length S( that with finger 967 engaged with detent 969 air at atmos pheric pressure would be conducted through 989 to uni 988 to maintain linkage connection to the carburetor With finger 967 ejected from detent 969 vacuum would bl conducted through 989 to unit 988 to break the linkagl connection.

The play space 986 above T-head 976 in cylindrica area 979, as shown in the arrow-indicated, dotted-lin space 996 above top 950 appears after cap 977 has $62161 against ledge 985 in the counterclockwise movement 0 top 950. In this slack space movement brake shaft becomes unsupported and the disconnect action occurs This movement corresponds to the initial brake peda movement of the other forms of my invention herein dis closed where the brake is separate from the accelerator this movement being equivalent to the tilt top movemen of a double top brake or the initial downward move ment of a single top brake, so that with the start of th braking movement the brake support has been remove and the accelerator has been disconnected.

Although several embodiments of the present inventio have been illustrated and described in detail, it is express 1y understood that the invention is not limited theretr Various changes may be made in the design and arrange ments of the parts without departing from the spirit an scope of the invention as will be understood by thos skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. Within a vehicle driving compartment containing foot operated brake control and a fioorboard compose f a lower horizontal portion joined at one edge to an inlined portion, a brake pedal in said compartment for ngaging said brake control, a pivot arrangement connectig said brake pedal to a foot contactible surface overtying pedal, said pivot arrangement establishing an axis bout which said surface tilts in either of two opposite irections, the locations of said pivot arrangement proiding numerous possible positions for the axis between first position parallel to said horizontal portion of the ,oorboard and a last position perpendicular to said horiontal portion in a plane substantially parallel to the rake pedal, said surface being so. positioned on said livot arrangement that when the operators foot is at rest )11 said surface the weight of the foot will urge the surace to tilt about the axis in one direction, and when the oot is applying pressure the force of the foot will urge he surface to tilt about the axis in the opposite direc ion, and means cooperating with said surface to support aid pedal and foot in a brake released position when said urface is tilted in one direction and to render said pedal Hid foot unsupported when said surface is tilted in the apposite direction.

2.. In combination with a vehicle braking system a foot )perable braking surface tiltably mounted by Way of aivots on a brake arm, a spring between said surface and arm to urge said surface to tilt in one direction to a first Josition about an axis established by said pivots, and :aid surface responsive to pressure by the operators foot ,0 overcome said spring and tilt said surface in the opposite direction over said axis to a second position, said Jrake arm to alternately abut said surface in its first and aecond positions, and means operating to hold said brake um from operating said system when said surface is tilted zo said first position, and to free said brake arm when said surface is tilted to said second position.

3. The invention of claim 2 and an upstanding shoul- :ler attached to one side of said surface so that when the operators foot is relaxed on said surface the foot will be curbed at its outside edge by said shoulder, and the preponderant portion of the weight of the operators foot will assist the spring to tilt the surface to said first position.

4. In a control system for a powerized vehicle having a foot operated accelerator for operating the powerizing unit and a foot operated brake pedal for operating a braking system, a foot contacting braking surface tiltable about an axis through hinge connections on said brake pedal in a first and second direction opposite to each other, a first means cooperating with said surface to support said brake pedal in a non-operating position when said surface is tilted in said first direction, and to render said pedal unsupported for downward movement and operation of said braking system when said surface is tilted in said second direction, and a second means cooperating with said braking system and said accelerator to render the accelerator operatively effective when said braking surface is tilted in said first direction and ineffective when tilted said second direction, said hinge connections located under said braking surface in a position on said brake pedal such that when the operators foot is relaxed on said surface, the surface and the operators ankle will rotate at right angles to the length of the operators foot about said axis in said first direction, and when the operators foot is pressured downwardly, the surface and the foot will rotate at right angles to the operators foot about the axis in said second direction to render said accelerator ineffective and said pedal unsupported for downward movement to operate said braking system.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 630,281 8/1899 Alden 74-539 X 655,053 7/1900 Burke 74561 1,476,578 12/1923 Ballak 74512 1,898,557 2/1933 McCune 74-560 1,919,968 7/1933 Trabold 74560 1,940,081 12/1933 Felies l923 1,975,521 10/1934 Staude 200-59 2,068,962 1/1937 Sanford 74-560 X 2,146,491 2/1939 Tudor 188152.44 2,199,963 5/1940 Romburger 74-560 2,253,305 8/1941 Porter 188-152.44 2,276,028 3/ 1942 Dick 200-59 2,311,120 2/ 1943 Mossinghoff l923 2,423,006 6/ 1947 Chambers of al l923 2,455,985 12/1948 Elliott 6054.5 2,458,803 6/ 1949 Stelzer 6054.5 2,542,410 2/1951 Hedges 74560 X 2,628,507 2/1953 Juergens 74-562 X 2,634,625 4/ 1953 Mahardy 74539 FRED C. MATTERN, JR., Primary Examiner.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, MILTON KAUFMAN,

Examiners. C. F. GREEN, Assistant Examiners. 

1. WITHIN A VEHICLE DRIVING COMPARTMENT CONTAINING A FOOT OPERATED BRAKE CONTROL AND A FLOORBOARD COMPOSED OF A LOWER HORIZONTAL PORTION JOINED AT ONE EDGE TO AN INCLINED PORTION, A BRAKE PEDAL IN SAID COMPARTMENT FOR ENGAGING SAID BRAKE CONTROL, A PIVOT ARRANGEMENT CONNECTING SAID BRAKE PEDAL TO A FOOT CONTACTIBLE SURFACE OVERLAYING PEDAL, SAID PIVOT ARRANGEMENT ESTABLISHING AN AXIS ABOUT WHICH SAID SURFACE TILTS IN EITHER OF TWO OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, THE LOCATIONS OF SAID PIVOT ARRANGEMENT PROVIDING NUMEROUS POSSIBLE POSITIONS FOR THE AXIS BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION PARALLEL TO SAID HORIZONTAL PORTION OF THE FLOORBOARD AND A LAST POSITION PERPENDICULAR TO SAID HORIZONTAL PORTION IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE BRAKE PEDAL, SAID SURFACE BEING SO POSITIONED ON SAID 